Michael Leitch Embraces Change to Drive Team Growth

The goal is a fifth World Cup appearance!
The brave men who supported Japan’s rapid rise to the top have left one after another, but this man is still with us,
But this man is still here.

Head coach Eddie Jones (64, hereafter HC) has returned to the Japanese national rugby team after a nine-year absence.

Although the team has a record of winning a historic three matches against strong teams, including South Africa, which has won the World Cup in England in 2003, the team lost all three test matches from June 22 to July 21 this year.

Fans are giving him a hard time, but Leach Michael (35), who has been entrusted with the captaincy by the famous captain, said, “This is not the end of the story. We will definitely get results at the World Cup in 2007.

Eddie Jones, the head coach (64) of the Japan rugby team, has returned approximately nine years after his previous tenure.

 

Jones, who led the South African team to victory in the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England, is known for his historic three wins against strong opponents. However, the team faced a disappointing performance in the test matches held from June 22 to July 21 this year, losing all three games.

 

Despite the critical eyes from fans, the captain, Michael Leitch (35), remains optimistic, stating, “This is not the end. We will definitely achieve results in the 2027 World Cup.” 

In mid-July, when the author conducted the interview, he praised the young players who were selected for the national team this year and also spoke about his own fulfillment.

“In the past, young players were more nervous, but today’s young players are more vocal. The gap between seniors and juniors isn’t that significant. I don’t feel my age either.”

He first came to Japan 20 years ago at the age of 15. After attending Sapporo Yamanote High School and Tokai University, he joined the Toshiba Brave Lupus (now Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo). He acquired Japanese citizenship in 2013 and has participated in the Rugby World Cup every four years, up to the 2023 tournament.

For the 2027 World Cup in Australia, there is hope for his fifth appearance, which would be a first for Japan. However, he focuses on daily progress, aiming to improve slightly each day.

“If I don’t change, the team cannot grow. That’s why, every day, I am doing my best to improve.”

At one point, he considered an early retirement. Around the time of Japan’s historic entry into the top eight in the 2019 Rugby World Cup, his condition and performance had declined due to a hip injury. If he couldn’t compete at the top level, he thought he might step away from the spotlight. This was a topic of discussion with his wife, whom he met during his time at Tokai University.

“I had planned to retire by the age of 33. Until then, I aimed to set up a financial structure so that I wouldn’t struggle after retirement. We also discussed whether to stay in Japan for our children’s education or return to New Zealand.”

However, those plans were revised. In 2020, when official games were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he underwent surgery for all his injuries. By pushing himself and improving his fitness, he regained his form and successfully made it to the Rugby World Cup for the fourth time last autumn. After returning to Japan, he became Toshiba’s captain for the first time in ten years, leading the team to their first Japan Championship in 14 seasons in the top domestic league, League One.

In the current national team, he is taking on new challenges, playing not only in his familiar positions as a flanker and number eight but also taking on the role of lock, a position suggested by Head Coach Eddie Jones.

Playing as a lock (LO) requires entering the middle of a scrum, which means taking on a lot of weight from the opponents, more so than in the back row positions like flanker and number eight. Since Leitch has narrow shoulders and finds it difficult to push effectively against the front row, he initially believed he could never succeed in this position. In 2021, he was advised by the national team staff to try playing as a lock but almost declined the opportunity.

 

However, he is now optimistic. On June 22, he played as a lock in the latter part of the match against England. On July 13, he started as a lock in the game against Georgia.

“On the first day, I felt, ‘This really might not work,’ but as I went through each session, I improved. I now definitely believe I can do it. If I can play as a lock, it will broaden my playing options, and I should be able to stay at the top level for another five years or so.” 

In the 2015 Rugby World Cup, his comrades who helped defeat the South African team—Ayumu Goromaru (38), Fumiaki Tanaka (39), and Shota Horie (38)—have already retired from professional rugby. However, Leitch remains at the forefront. The promise he made with Horie to “go to India together” seems like it will be a long way off, as his daughter, who is in fifth grade, is inspired by the long careers of tennis players she admires.

“Roger Federer played until he was 41, and Novak Djokovic is still active at 37. Their careers serve as a great example for me.

The current situation of being away from home for extended periods due to tours and training camps. He expresses his gratitude, saying, “I wouldn’t have made it this far without my family’s understanding.” For his children, he stated his desire to “provide them with a good education.” He arranged for daily private tutoring for his daughter to support her desire to take a middle school entrance exam.

“Since I’m often not at home. I try to make up for it in every way I can.”

 

Even as his colleagues get younger, the role expected of Leitch remains the same.

From the August 16, 2024, issue of ‘FRIDAY’.